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65th Congress \ 
2d Session / 



SENATE 



Document 
No. 196 



UNJUSTIFIED CRITICISM OF THE 
ADMINISTRATION 



SPEECH 



DELIVERED AT THE BANQUET OF THE KANSAS DEMO- 
CRATIC CLUB, HELD ON FEBRUARY 22. 1918, 
IN TOPEKA. KANS. 



By 
MR. WILLIAM H. THOMPSON. 

SENATOR FROM KANSAS 



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PRESENTED BY MR. HOLLIS 

March 8 (Calendar Day, MARCH 11). 1 9 1 8.— Ordered to be printed 



WASHINGTON 

COvLRNlVlENT PRIN i i.slG OFFICi:: 

1918 



D. of S« 
JUL 18 1918 






UNJUSTIFIED CRITICISM OF THE ADMINISTRATION. 



[Speech delivered by Senator William H. Thompson, at the banquet of the Kansas Democratic Club, 
in Topeka, Kans., Feb. 22, 1918.] 

It is certainly fitting that the Democrats should celebrate Wash- 
ington's Birthday for there has been no man since the illustrious 
Father of His Country until our present great President, Woodrow 
Wilson, of whom it could be more truthfully said, "First in war, 
first in peace, and first in the hearts of his coimtrymen." 

The Republican politicians may strain at gnats, criticize little 
thmgs, howl like wolves, and kick like mules, yet when all is said 
and done the American people will still have implicit faith and 
confidence in Woodrow Wilson. The opposition has been unable, 
and will be unable to swerve him in the least from the straight path 
of duty honestly, fearlessly, and faithfully performed. 

All this criticism of Daniels and Baker is an indirect attack on 
the President. The Republican bosses have not quite yet the 
nerve or the gall — -and they have plenty of both — to make a direct 
attack on the President, for they are even smart enough to know that 
the American people will not stand for it. So they are using their 
old political tactics of trying to fool the people by finding fault with 
the Cabinet, m the hope of having the people believe there is some- 
thing wrong somewhere. 

Tliey first jumped on to Secretary Daniels, one of the cleanest, 
ablest, and most farseeing men who has ever been Secretary of the 
Navy. Tiie animus of the attack on Daniels had its root no doubt 
in the fact that he carried to the Navy the Kansas idea that intoxi- 
cating liquor should be eliminated from the Navy and all our fighting 
forces. Who will now say that he failed in his duty when he made 
this order, or that Congress was not justified in protecting our boys 
in the military service from the sale of intoxicatnig liquor ? 

Secretary Daniels ignored the abuse heaped upon%im and went on 
building and improving the Navy until we now have a Navy ranking 
among the best in the world; and the statement of the President at 
St. Louis two years ago, which met with so much criticism from the 
Republican press, that we should have the greatest Navy in the world, 
will soon be realized under Secretary Daniels. You have no doubt 
noticed they have quit criticizing Daniels. Even a prominent 
Republican, Senator Kenyon, of Iowa, on the floor of the Senate a few 
days ago said : 

In this era of criticism no criticism can be made of oiu- Navy. Lloyd George a 
few days ago congi'atulated om* Nation on the splendid work of our Navy. Let no 
one say we have done nothing in this war. We helped to destroy the submarine. 
Our Navy is doing some of the most essential work of the war. All honor to the boys 
of the American Navy, to the work of Admhal Sims, and to the splendidly efficient 
Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels. 

3 



4 UNJUSTIFIED CEITICISM OF THE ADMINISTRATION. 

So the opposition had to look for another subject, and they 
observed that Secretary Baker was even a smaller man in stature 
than Daniels; and they thought perhaps by the aid of their biggest 
elephant they could push him over the political precipice. So vith 
the help of a few peeved Democrats they jumped on to Baker, but 
they did not get ver}^ far until this little fellow stood his ground, 
and afoot and alone, he pushed the whole busmess overboard. They 
have since been struggling to find out how best they can save their 
own faces. 

But it has not all been the fault of the Republican politicians in 
Congress. We have had a new White House male picket down at 
Washington. He paraded with his banner up and down in front of 
the White House, but changod the old familiar words "Vote for 
women" to "Vote for Roosevelt." He even strained his cars so 
severely Ustening for a call from the people that he was obliged to go 
to a hospital and submit to an opi^^ration. Roosevelt straining 
through tha fence at the White House as France has been looking at 
Alsace-Lorraine. 

Roosevelt's ambition is the secret of the attack on Baker. He is 
the father of the so-called "speed up" program, although this ad- 
ministration did more for preparedness in Wilson's first term, when 
no one expected we would get into the war, than Roosevelt accom- 
plished in his two presidential terms; and after war came, we ac- 
complished more in the first six months, as distinguished represen- 
tatives from both England and France frankly admitted, than those 
great countries were able to accomplish in a whole year. 

Our war accomplishments have been marvelous and beyond the 
dreams of the most optimistic. We have transformed the most 
peaceful nation in the world to the most active warlike nation. The 
French high commissioner, Mr. Tardieu, said: 

America's military effort has been wonderful and splendid and a surprise to the 
enemy. 

The British high commissioner, Lord Northcliffe, said: 

Swift, unexpected action characterizes the United States in war. The war machine 
gathers momentum as it passes, its ramiiications are bewildering, scarcely a day passes 
without some fresh and startling proof of its force. 

Even the German press admit our great war preparation and abil- 
ity in this respeci., when they say: 

The fact must not be overlooked that the United States, with the support of its 
capacity and material and industrial management, is arming itself for war with great 
energy and tenacity. 

Everyone l-aiows we had no Ai"my to speak of in the beginning for 
such an undertaking. We now have the foundation for an Ai'my 
of 10,000,000 men, accomplished tlirough the selective-draft system 
wi,thm 30 days after war was declared, ^^hich accomplishment neither 
Great Britain, France, nor Canada were able to bring about short of 
two years. We now have 1,500,000 men undergoing intensive train- 
ing for their great task. We have trebled the size of the Navy, 
brmging it up to a strength of 330,000 men, and have greatly increased 
the Marine Corps, We have more than doubled our shipping facili- 
ties, giving us a tonnage of over 2,300,000. We are expending 
$350,000,000 for the building of destroyers, and have turned them 
out with surprising speed, our first fleet of destroyers reaching the 



UNJUSTIFIED CRITICISM OF THE ADMINISTKATION. 5 

war zone as early as May 4, 1917. It was almost as much of a sur- 
prise to England as it was to Germany, and they have been doing 
most effective work every day. We are expending $640,000,000 for 
aeroplane construction, laying the foundation for a fleet of 100,000 
aeroplanes, if necessary, enough when in flight to almost obscure 
the sun from practically all of the German Empire. Announcement 
was made yesterday that our first shipment of aeroplanes was on the 
way to France, five months ahead of the expectation of ourselves or 
the allies. We are constructing Government armor plate and pro- 
jectile plants and Government powder and nitrate plants. We 
established 16 training camps and turned out 40,000 officers within 
three months, and built 16 cantonments which required over a 
billion feet of lumber and about 100,000 carloads of material, and 
took over 100,000 workmen, in addition to the soldiers, to do the 
work. Modern hospitals have been built and placed in charge of 
competent physicians, surgeons, and niu'ses, which have been con- 
ducted in such manner that the health conditions of our Army is the 
best in the world, and the best ever known in any war, with only 
eight soldiers per thousand in a year dying from disease, while in 
the Spanish-American War the rate was 25 per thousand. In addi- 
tion to all this, we have several hundred thousand well-trained fight- 
ing men, thoroughly equipped, in the trenches in France, more than 
ten times as many men as Gen. Jofire himself originally thought would 
be required from'^this country for the entire war, and all were trans- 
ported through the war zone without the loss of a single man until 
the late Tvsccmia disaster, and with the loss of only one American 
ship. Besides all this, we have raised the necessary money for our- 
selves as well as our allies to carry on this war, and are prepared to 
furnish the necessary food for all our allies, and have enough left 
for om-selves. AE this and many other things too numerous to 
mention have been done within 10 months. Still the critics of the 
administration say our War Department has fallen down. 

You will remember the RepubUcans told us in the last campaign 
there was no danger of our getting into the war, and in Congress 
they fought some of our most important measures for preparedness. 
Everybody now acknowledges that our greatest need is ships, yet 
some RepubUcan Senators absolutely filbustered to death the shipping 
bill which was before Congress as early as 1914 and 1915. They then 
contended we did not need the extra ships, but now blame us for lack 
of foresight in not providing them sooner. 

The President tried to give the country due notice of the approach- 
ing war two years ago. President Wilson was the Paul Revere of 
this war who rode clear across the continent giving the alarm, exclaim- 
ing that the world was on fire and the conflagration was liable to 
break out here at any time. But few heeded him. You w ill remem- 
ber that the present governor of our State, when he introduced the 
President at the auditorium here in Topeka, told the people that he 
was not in sympathy with the President's preparedness program, but 
as President ot the United States he was entitled to a hearing. Now 
this same man and hundreds of other Repubhcan professional poli- 
ticians are blaming the President for not alarming the country long 
before so that we could have been better prepared, when they did 
absolutely nothing themselves m hen in power and laid every obstacle 
in our way to prevent earher preparation. 



6 UNJUSTIFIED CRinCISM OF THE ADMINISTEATION. 

So politics, pure and simple, is at the bottom of all the criticism 
against Secretary Baker and this administration, and envious Roose- 
velt is the chief politician at the head of the movement. He still 
has dreams of a tliird term. He fears that if this war continues, 
and we all hope it will not, there will be a third-term President, 
and his name will not be Roosevelt. Yet Roosevelt is the only man 
in the United States of any poUtical party who is so ambitious, so 
selfish, and so mipatriotic as to now begin his political campaign 
against a President successfully conducting a war for his country. 

The scheme of the Republican bosses is very plain. They first 
propose to carry Congress, and after that, to use the language of a 
Republican whom I heard reveal the plan, "gut the President." 
The political governor of our State, Hon. Ai'thur Capper, who dreams 
to be your next Senator, but who will not be if you can prevent it, 
voiced the Roosevelt doctrine recently in his paper over his own sig- 
nature, even before Secretary Baker made his reply or was given a 
hearing. He said : 

The attitude of the President is generally disappoiBting to the people in his sv, eep- 
ing defense of the War Department and sweeping denial that anj' serious blunders 
had been made. 

I do not believe, and I know you do not believe, that the people 
are disappointed in the action of the President or in the reply of 
Secretary Baker, which is a most complete and overwhelming answer 
to the charges against the War Department. But Gov. Capper in 
this same article proves my point that the whole criticism is poht- 
ical when he says : 

When the President went outside of his party to select Elihu Root to head the 
mission to Russia, the wisdom of that choice was recognized and commended the 
world over. If the President would summon to his aid such administrative giants 
as Taft and Roosevelt and Root and Hughes * * * how the coimtry would rise 
to it. 

My Lord, haven't the people had enough of that crowd, if we are 
to believe their action at the polls ? Ah, this is the milk in the coco- 
nut: If the President would only turn his administration over to 
Republican office seekers who have been repudiated by the people of 
the United States at the polls, except Root — and even his mission 
to Russia has resulted m complete failure — everything would be all 
right. Gov. Capper is willing to commend Republicans who have 
failed in their endeavors, but unwilhng to say a good word for Demo- 
crats who have been successful in their faithful labors. 

The one great task before the country is to win the war. If the 
present administration is left in ( ontrol the war will be won, and won 
much more quicldy than could possibly be done by plating new men 
and another party in power. Remember, Lincoln said: "It is 
dangerous to swap horses in the middle of a stream." 

You have no doubt read one of Lincoln's stories when at the White 
House one day some gentlemen from the West were much excited 
and displeased about the commissions or omissions of Lincoln's 
administration. Lincoln heard them patiently, and then replied: 

Gentlemen, suppose all the property you were worth \Aas in gold and you had put 
it in the hands of Blondin to carry across A'iagara River on a rope, would you shake 
the cable, or keep shouting oiit to him: "Blondin, stand up a little straighter; Blon- 
din, stoop a little more; go a little faster; lean a little more to the south"? No; you 
would hold your breath, as well as your tongue, and keep your hands off until he was 



UNJUSTIFIED CRITICISM OF THE ADMINISTRATION. 7 

safely over. The Government is carrjTug an immense weight. Untold treasures are 
in their hands. They are doing the best they can. Don't badger them. Keep 
silence and we will get you safe across. 

In tlie present crisis President Wilson walks the cable which 
stretches from the United States clear across the ocean to dear old 
France — I lore to think of helping France in her fight for Uberty. 
It took a long time for her "bread cast upon the waters" to return, 
but when Gen. Pershing stood at the tomb of Lafayette, saluted and 
said, "Lafayette, we are here," the world knew our debt of gratitude 
to France was going to be paid with compound interest. 

President Wilson is carrying on that cable the greatest treasures 
ever placed in the hands of any man since first the flight of time 
began. It is our very life, Hberty, happiness, our homes, our Govern- 
ment, our country, and our aU. He is doing the very best that 
any human being could possibly do. So, as Americans, keep your 
hands off. Do not shake the cable. Do not badger him. Keep 
silence and he will carry us safely across. 

1 have been down at Washington for the past five years helping to 
uphold the hands of the President and the administration in all its 
"great progressive and constructive work, UHequaled by any adminis- 
tration since the foundation of the Government. I hope to stay down 
there a while longer, for if there was ever a time when the President 
needs help it is during this war, and at times of political attacks^ 
intrigues, and conspiracies against him. 

As th(^ President wiU be held responsible ior the conduct of the 
war, I have felt he should be given a free rein, and not be hampered 
as Lincoln was by a War Cabinet. We already have a War Council 
of able and experienced men. We have no more need of a War 
Cabinet than a dog has of two tails. The Constitution makes the 
President Commander in chief of the Ai-my and Navy, and Congress 
has no power to place this responsibility in any board. President 
Wilson has proven himself equal to every emergency, and I shall 
return to Wasliington and continue to back Woodrow Wilson with 
my whole body and soul. 

I appeal to Kansas that as she stood by Lincoln in preserving the 
Union she now stand by Wilson in saving the world. 

Woodrow Wilson places the rights of humanity above the am- 
bitions of any ruler or the coveted strength or power of any nation. 
He wants all the people of the world to enjoy the rich blessings 
of liberty possessed by the people of the United States. As Na- 
poleon is known in history as the great military genius, Washington 
as the great soldier and liberator, Jefferson as the gi'eat scholar and 
statesman, Lincoln as the great emancipator, Grant as the great 
general, Woodrow Wilson will be known in history as the gi'eat 
humanitarian. When the dove of peace shall spread her white 
wings over a charr(^d and bloody world, when bitter partisanship of 
pohtics shall cease, when principle shall < ontrol the actions of men 
rrther than appetite for office, and when ambition shaU no longer 
ijre men into unjust and unfair criticism, the historian, in his silent 
chamber of reflection wiU accord to President Wilson and this ad- 
ministration the highest place in the history of the gi'eatest country 
in the world. 

o 



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